Of course.
First, I would say that most cases of the mistreatment of animals in Quebec happen with people who are not farmers. They are dog breeders, kennel owners or horse owners who do not have the means to look after their horses properly. The Quebec Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the MAPAQ, which is responsible for those matters in Quebec, records cases of animal mistreatment principally among owners of that kind.
There is no way that agricultural producers are going to mistreat their animals because they bear the direct costs of doing so. Our income comes from the proper treatment we provide to our animals, not from mistreatment. The people who say that they have to be able to report such situations have to understand that.
The activists who complain about the meat industry are against the meat industry, period.
Under current legislation, veterinarians are required to report producers if they observe mistreatment on any farm. All producers use the services of veterinarians. If agronomists go onto a farm and see mistreatment, they are required to report it. We already have oversight in this area and the legislation already allows for action in such cases.